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International Day of Charity: Welcoming Refugees in Europe

5.9.2015 - While the UN marks the International Day of Charity on the 5th of September, the refugee crisis in the world is getting out of hand. Throughout Europe, people are donating and distributing essentials such as food, clothes and hygiene products to arriving refugees. Others have offered language lessons, translation and babysitting. The hash tag "refugees welcome" keeps trending on social media.

Ten thousand Icelanders have welcomed Syrian refugees into their homes, as part of a Facebook campaign launched after the government announced it would only let in 50 humanitarian refugees from Syria. In Finland, pensioners are knitting warm clothes for the refugee children and volunteers are putting together «maternity boxes» which contain all necessary baby supplies for women with little kids.

In Munich, Germany, people have been so eager to help, that this week the police had to ask the public to stop bringing donations for arriving refugees because it simply became too much. «The donations at hand will be sufficient for the refugees present and arriving today» the local police wrote on Twitter.

"At a time when the need for humanitarian assistance has never been higher and when there are more refugees and displaced people than at any time since the end of the Second World War, charities play an increasingly vital role in meeting human need" says Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a statement for the International Day of Charity.

The International Day of Charity coincides with the anniversary of the death of Mother Teresa, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 for her work to overcome poverty. Upon receiving the prize, she donated the money that came with it to some of the poorest people in India.

When the Security Council approaches the final stage of negotiation of a draft resolution the text is printed in blue... What's in Blue helps interested UN readers keep up with what might soon be "in blue".

The Brussels based United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe - UNRIC provides information on UN activities to the countries of the region. It also provides liaison with institutions of the European Union in the field of information. Its outreach activities extend to all segments of society and joint campaigns, projects and events are organized with partners including the EU, governments, the media, NGOs, schools and local authorities.